Markets move up and down on news, anticipation and results. The currency market has some somewhat predictable drivers of the value of a given country's currency. This past week, the United States Federal Reserve raised interest rates 0.25% and the impact in the Canadian Dollar value against the US dollar was a head scratcher. Although... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
Pam de Rocquigny, is the newly minted general manager of both the Manitoba Corn Growers Association and the Manitoba Wheat & Barley Growers Association, the first time the groups have hired joint management for the groups. The former provincial cereal specialist spoke with Kelvin Heppner at the recent CropConnect conference to discuss the transition from... Read More
The 11 remaining countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership met on the sidelines of Asia Pacific trade talks in Chile yesterday to discuss the future of the TPP now that the U.S. has withdrawn. "The participating partners reiterated their firm commitment to collaborate in keeping markets open and to the free flow of goods, services and... Read More
These are busy times in the federal trade department, as Global Affairs Canada is acting on several key trade files. Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne is in Chile this week to discuss the possibility of an Asia-Pacific trade deal now that the U.S. has withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP.) Just last week, the department opened... Read More
What happens when a supplier and a processor can't agree to a contract? In some cases, the parties walk away from the deal. In others, such as is usually the case between Ontario's processing-vegetable growers and processors, there's a set out and agreed upon mediation process. If that doesn't result in a deal, the parties... Read More
The Western Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) delegates gathered in Saskatoon recently to discuss issues, policies, and provide guidance to each other. As luck would have it, Shaun Haney met with former WCWGA president Cherilyn Nagel at the recent Advancing Women in Agriculture conference. Nagel and Haney sat down to talk about the convention and some... Read More
Trade has become the talk on all news programs and in coffee shops across not just Canada, but all of North America. America's Trump administration has promised it will improve current deals and strike new bilateral agreements around the world, creating opportunities and challenges for Canada. With the impending NAFTA renegotiation being a hot topic,... Read More
The CEO of one of Canada's largest grain companies is "very optimistic" a timely resolution will be reached to maintain Canadian pulse crop shipments to India. A looming change to India's phytosanitary policy for pulse imports effective April 1 has left sales to Canada's largest pulse export market in limbo over the last few weeks.... Read More
Change is good. Change is the only constant. Be the change you want to see in the world. There's no shortage of sayings that reference change. Michael Barrett, president and CEO of Gay Lea Foods, prefers, though, to use imagery when discussing change and being ready for it. In his words, there are lines in... Read More
The Saskatchewan government is asking the farm and ranch community for input on how it delivers agriculture extension services in the province. A new delivery model is expected to be in place when the next federal-provincial ag policy framework begins in April 2018, according to a provincial news release issued Tuesday. “The agriculture industry is... Read More